Shadow of a Doubt
by IvyXLacrimosa
Summary: AU / GoM X Kuroko — Teikou has long been known for the production of prodigies, unrivaled in their skills, and the Generation of Miracles personify this. Experts in manipulation, they're undeniably strong, and bearing emotionless, ruthless personas each of them were perfect machines. Until another enters their midst, with no fear and an invisible presence, and all are changed.
1. White King, Blue Ghost

**_AU / GoM X Kuroko / Violence / Language_**

**_Rating May Rise._**

* * *

**_Chapter One_**

**_White King, Blue Ghost_**

_"When you have no fear in you—"_

* * *

_Teikou Academy was most well-known for its utter dominance in any imaginable aspect, as well as the number of wealthy students and geniuses that roamed its halls. On the surface, it was a prestigious, top of the line school for some of the most highly regarded up and coming young people in Japan. It had the best teachers, best facilities, and held more influence than some of the largest companies within the country._

_Under the surface though, Teikou Academy had another program running. Not all it students were aware of it, in fact, only a small, select few were ever admitted, but each and every one of them were trained to dominate on another level. They could humiliate, overwhelm, and kill anyone that stood in their way._

_These young students were taught from a young age that to show mercy was to show weakness, and that the world is cutthroat. With no attachments to the outside world allowed during the duration of their schooling, they all become cold-hearted, frigid and unforgiving as ice. Outer personalities were merely facades. _

_Throughout Teikou's many years of excellence, there have been geniuses, those unrivalled in the normal class and the underground regiment at what they do. Yet, in the past year, a group of five has dominated both sides of the Academy's world, unparalleled in academics and the art of killing._

_Named as the Generation of Miracles by the oblivious outside world, they were thought to have the potential to change the world with their genius and influence. Each exuded an air of professionalism, poise, and, above all else, control. _

_Even within the school of prestige, they were looked upon with awe and uncertainty; they were gods among potential monsters. _They _were monsters, unsympathetic, focused, and isolated. Given privileges no other students had access to, and assignments that would make most cringe, the Generation of Miracles were machines._

* * *

Rushing through the otherwise silent air was the sound of running water, noisily filling the hush with its happy and oblivious gurgle as it splashed around. That was the only hint of sound within the space, and the only light on in the whole space was in the adjoining hallway, casting a somber tint to the air.

Seeming unperturbed and rather disinterested, Akashi Seijῡrō continued to studiously clean the blood out of his usually polished black dress shoes, fingers methodically washing the drying gore out of the cracks and crevices. He seemed just a tad irritated; the tilt to his head and the cast of his mouth hinted at unbridled annoyance.

Though, if one knew the circumstances, they'd be a bit irritated too.

Finishing with his left shoe, he shifted his weight to one foot; leaning over to set the poor leather on a hand towel he had covering the rest of the counter. Moving on to the second shoe, he automatically began to scrape off the sticky redness that seemed to be desperately clinging on to the expensive leather.

It was a fruitless effort, as washing them would ruin them in the long run, but Seijῡrō was severely short on time. He was to be meeting with Teikou's Advisors in less than ten minutes, and the walk across campus and back to retrieve a new pair of shoes would take more than that.

Clucking his tongue, the redhead set his other shoe aside, quietly turning off the faucet and wiping his hands off on the edge of the towel where his shoes sat. Unrolling the sleeves to his dark dress shirt, he silently applauded himself for wearing a jacket out that day.

If not, he would be splattered in blood that he wouldn't be able to hide in a mere ten minutes, and that would be unacceptable. Running his hands through his red hair, the heterochromic boy turned a thoughtful gaze out of the little bathroom he'd used to clean up.

It was unusual for him, or any student, to be called in by the Advisors—a group of experienced and dangerous men at the top of Japan who cleverly ran Teikou Academy. They admitted students to the crudely named 'First String', the group of students who took classes that focused on the harsher aspects of business life.

Seijῡrō's father was one of the Advisors, and the Akashi had had a hand in Teikou affairs for nearly six generations. It was unsurprising then, when Seijῡrō had gained automatic admittance to the First String upon entering the Academy the year before.

He had yet to actually be called forth by the Advisors, as his father usually just passed information onto him whenever necessary. Why would someone of Seijῡrō's caliber be called forth when he was at the top of all?

Akashi Saitou had alluded to important business when he'd delivered the order onto his son, claiming that it involved all of the Generation of Miracles would be involved. That in itself was unusual as in all of his time within Teikou, he and the other four 'Miracles' had never really interacted for anything other than promotional, face value.

The curiosity Seijῡrō felt flickering over the mystery of the situation was undeniable. Drying off his shoes to the point where they would be tolerable, he slipped them back onto his feet, disposing of the evidence that said he'd been anything but impeccable.

Somewhere on the edge of the property would be a body, the source of Seijῡrō's current conflict, hidden discreetly as to not startle any wandering students. It was early; dawn was just creeping up on the sleepy Academy, and the other students would soon be leaving their rooms for early morning classes.

It would be unsightly for them to catch sight of Seijῡrō's work, so he'd hid the body of his latest assignment and called in one of the campus cleaners to take care of it. It was the Generation of Miracles' job to patrol the grounds and take care of any and all unwelcome visitors, and it was just Seijῡrō's luck that he'd run into someone on a day when he'd been called in.

Sighing, the young heir made his way down the empty halls, posture perfect and strides quick as he proceeded toward the Advisors' meeting room. Even if he'd never actually had to enter the place, he knew perfectly well where it was, and moved without hesitation.

When he reached it, he raised a fist to knock mannerly on the door, before entering it quickly after. There were only five minutes before he and the others were set to meet with the Advisors, so there should be no reason he _couldn't_ enter the room.

Shutting the door behind him, he lowered his head respectfully to the men around the room. They were all familiar faces, from his father, to the man at the head of the basketball club, to the history teacher. All held positions within the Academy, and all were familiar.

The only other member of the Miracles within the room was Midorima Shintarō, sitting stiffly and patiently. Out of all of them, Seijῡrō interacted most with him, as they were both active members on the Student Council, and often played friendly matches of shogi against each other. (Seijῡrō never lost.)

Nodding lightly to the bespectacled boy, Seijῡrō slid into one of the seats, crossing his hands before him and waiting. Not even several seconds had passed before one of the Advisors, a man by the name of Shirogane, spoke up.

"It was your day for patrol, was it not, Akashi-kun?" the older man mused, eyes trailing over him speculatively as if to find some hint of disarray. Letting his lips flicker into an amused smirk before forcing them into a semblance of politeness, the redhead merely inclined his head.

"That is no reason to forgo proper etiquette," Seijῡrō murmured, straightening the sleeves of his dress shirt casually. Across from him, he could feel Shintarō's gaze. The green haired boy was also dressed pristinely in what appeared to be a pair of black slacks and a pressed white shirt, a perfectly knotted black and white striped tie around his neck.

Before anyone else could say anything, the door opened, and the ever forward Murasakibara Atsushi entered. The giant, violet haired boy was dressed nicely—the deep gray blazer he wore actually _fit_ his large frame—and his hands were devoid of any snacks. It was easy to see that it made him agitated though, and he overlooked any greetings as he moved to take the seat on Seijῡrō's left, pouting silently like a scolded child.

One of the Advisors within the room sighed, and Seijῡrō couldn't help the flicker of amusement through him. There were some quirks that couldn't be broken, even with the Generation of Miracles, and other than Murasakibara's blatant childishness, the startlingly orange paisley handkerchief in Midorima's hands was another prime example.

Clucking his tongue, Harasawa Katsunori, Teikou's reining chemistry teacher, called out to the distracted giant. "You could have at least closed the door, Murasakibara," though the drawling suggestion was lost, all eyes flicked momentarily to the door, where the sudden sounds of harsh whispers could be heard.

Shrugging, the purple haired boy mumbled under his breath, "No point." Atsushi then returned to fiddling disinterestedly with a loose string on his dark blue shirt, giant fingers tugging it off. Seijῡrō huffed lightly under his breath, though no one could hear it—two minutes in the room and he was already exasperated. The sounds of arguing intensified.

It seemed the final two members of the Generation of Miracles had arrived, with mere seconds to spare.

In the lightly lit room, the first figure to enter was startlingly _dark_. From the perpetual scowl adorning his lips to the shadowed cast of his eyes and his darkly tanned skin, Aomine Daiki was naturally intimidating. Though this meant nothing to the rest of the Generation of Miracles, it did earn him a rather fearful impression from the rest of the Academy's population.

He was currently grimacing over his shoulder at his companion, fixing the horrendous bedhead that proved he'd likely rolled out of bed—_literally_—not ten minutes before. Yet Daiki still had the presence of mind to at least whisper his curses at the person following behind him who had likely been the one to retrieve him.

Pinching his brow momentarily, Seijῡrō made a mental note to request that all Daiki's appointment dates be sent to the only person willing to keep him in line. The dark skinned boy's childhood friend, Momoi Satsuki, was not a part of all that the Miracles were involved in, but she was more worthy to be trusted than any other person in the First String, and Seijῡrō honestly loathed dealing with Daiki.

Behind the ever present headache inducing Daiki was Kise Ryouta, pouting falsely in reply to the insults being hurled loosely his way. With his hands in his pockets and his shoulders relaxed, Ryouta looked very much like he'd been awake for hours—perfectly put together.

It was fitting, as he was quite literally the poster boy for Teikou. The blonde's face was on every advertisement that left with the approval of the Academy, as he was widely known across Japan as an up and coming model. With his freshly pressed khaki colored pants, and gray vest open over a pristine white shirt, he exuded style and confidence, and his expression seemed programed with charisma.

When Ryouta closed the door behind him, the two final entrees quieted their conversation, smartly choosing seats away from each other as to avoid unsightly conflict. However volatile they sometimes were, not one member of the Generation of Miracles lacked intelligence or common sense.

"Thank you for your apt arrival," Akashi Saitou greeted, leaning back in his high-backed chair. He shared Seijῡrō's red hair, though his eyes were a dark brown rather than the heterochromic orbs his son donned. "I have called the five of you here this morning to brief you on a coming assignment, involving _all_ of you." The implication was easily recognizable; it was clear they'd be working together.

Surprise flickered across all of their faces, and Seijῡrō was no exception, though he kept his confined to his gaze. It was rare for multi-man assignments, and it almost never happened with anyone other than final year students. Though, it was to be expected with the Generation of Miracles.

Saitou leaned forward, opening a folder that had been sitting neatly before him, pulling out several documents. "Our neighboring public branch, Seirin, has brought some rather unsavory events to light," he began, sliding the first table skillfully down to the nearest Miracle—Seijῡrō.

Raising a brow, the redhead nimbly picked up the upside-down piece, flipping it in his fingers. Freezing for half a second, his eyes took in the pictures of dead bodies with utter disgust, cataloguing each detail with precision. They were not just dead; the people in the pictures had obviously been tortured.

"There have been a recent string of murders—all students within Seirin," Saitou stated blandly, flickering more photo's down to the teens around the table. Kise and Aomine both made audible sounds of revulsion, while Midorima frowned deeply and Murasakibara's head tipped a bit. While none of them were strangers to death, seeing such violation was not something they approved of, as even without showing mercy, one could respect the dead.

"While Seirin does teach self-defense in its program, it has nothing to the capacity of our classes, and therefore, they have no group like you five to deal with the problem, as getting public police involved is not an option." Shutting his folder, Saitou showed his first hint of fatigue, pinching his brows. "Within their entire system, there is only one with capabilities that match those of the Generation of Miracles."

"Really?" Kise burst out, inquisitiveness glowing in his golden eyes. He'd ended up with all of the pictures, and hurriedly sent them back down the polished black table to Saitou. Otherwise, he seemed perfectly composed. "They have someone that good?"

Something like amusement surfaced in Saitou's eyes, and one corner of his mouth lifted. It was a strange expression, even to Seijῡrō, but the redhead could see the calculative mirth within the depths of his father's gaze. If Saitou was wearing that look, it meant someone truly exceptional was being talked about.

"He's is… unique," Seijῡrō's father eventually answered, fingers absentmindedly folding together as his gaze flickered around them room. "I have no qualms about him keeping up with you five."

"Keeping up with us?" Seijῡrō murmured thoughtfully, gaze becoming hooded as he studied his father. Despite how potentially fascinating this new male might be there was a more pressing issue that needed to be clarified. "You intend for us to work together?"

Saitou nodded, sharp gaze telling his son that there was no alternative. Lips twisting with distaste, Seijῡrō tilted his head ever so slightly to show that he understood, though part of him was severely offended at being ordered by someone.

"For the sake of salvaging our relations with Seirin and maintaining control of public opinion, you five will be working with Seirin's representative to expose the killer. If it weren't for your lack of familiarity with the grounds," Saitou tacked on when they made displeased face, "I would have put in a request that you work alone."

Daiki clucked his tongue, mumbled to himself and kept his bored gaze lowered, and Atsushi moaned in irritation, tapping his foot and shaking Seijῡrō's chair just a tad. Ryouta and Shintarō remained silent, though the blond boy was pouting with annoyance ever so slightly.

"I assume the killer should be brought back alive for persecution?" Seijῡrō questioned, ignoring the unpleasantness of the situation to get the necessary details for completing the assignment. However much he'd rather work alone, he knew that the more he knew, the quicker he could finish the whole thing and get back to his daily routine.

A noise of affirmation left Saitou's lips, and he turned his head toward the door. "We ask that the culprit be brought back in good enough condition for questioning, though the condition of any others involved does not affect us. You may enter," the red haired middle-aged man tacked on, voice rising in volume as he spoke toward the door.

The door opened a crack, and a light and unobtrusive voice floated through. "Excuse me," the soft spoken and polite words wafted into the room, though they were said in such an empty tone that it was almost robotic. Then the doorway was made wide enough for the new person it enter the room.

He was short, and, when Seijῡrō was able to fully focus on him—which seemed to take some extreme effort on Seijῡrō's part—the redhead noticed he was almost translucent. Dressed in the standard _gakuran_ uniform that Seijῡrō recognized as Seirin's, the boy exuded a formal air.

Although only his hands and face were visible through the high-necked uniform, it was painfully obvious that the boy was _pale_. Ethereally white, he seemed exceptionally fragile for someone who was to work with the Generation of Miracles. Yet, with an eerily calm expression and alert, blank blue eyes, Seijῡrō could see that he was brimming with intelligence.

The boy, who sported powder blue locks the same color as his eyes, came to a stop behind Saitou, bowing deeply, posture perfectly straight. The head of the Akashi family gestured for the boy to straighten, and then turned back to the Miracles, whose eyes were locked on the newcomer.

"This is Kuroko Tetsuya, the student from Seirin who will be working with you throughout the duration of this investigation," Saitou said, and the new bow—Tetsuya—tipped his head forward politely.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," the blue haired boy greeted softly, "Please take care of me."

Incredulous looks were all Seijῡrō could see when he glanced at the rest of the teens in the room. Though it varied in the strength of visibility (the worst being Daiki and the best being Atsushi, who appeared to not care in the slightest) it was obvious that they doubted the skill of the boy in front of them.

"This week will be spent becoming acquainted with each other and your respective styles. Kuroko-kun will be living on Teikou's campus, and will brief all of you on the layout and background for Seirin, as well as several suspects that we've already begun investigating. If anything interferes with classes, you are free to skip them, and your patrols have been cancelled until the suspect is apprehended."

"You are dismissed," Saitou declared. When the redheaded man finished the curt explanation, he rose from his seat, gathering up the folder and pushing in his chair. The rest of the Advisors, who had been strangely silent, followed suit and the group exited the room, the door closing with finality behind them.

Silence, tainted with awkward uncertainty, followed the untimely exit of the Advisors, and everyone turned to look at Kuroko Tetsuya once more. The boy seemed unperturbed with their staring, staying unmoving and unresponsive as to the emotions directed at him. There was no hint that he felt anything, and the rather impressive display of control was unnerving.

Ryouta was the first to speak, face twisted up with thought as he stared at the expressionless blue haired boy. "So you're supposed to be able to keep up with us?" The tone he used was perfectly polite, but the words themselves spoke of what Ryouta's first impression of the boy had been.

It was almost spine-chilling, the way in which the boy's blank face turned toward Ryouta, gaze focusing solely on the blond with almost terrifying intensity, despite the lack of emotion. He merely looked at Ryouta, and, as if his thoughts had been confirmed, the blond sighed in disappointment.

He muttered under his breath, whining so softly Seijῡrō almost didn't hear it though his gaze spoke more loudly than anything. "And I thought he'd at least be _interesting_."

Planning to gauge the new boy's reaction to the rudeness of Ryouta, Seijῡrō's eyes turned back to where Tetsuya stood at the head of the table, just in time to catch a hint of something glinting fly across his peripheral. There was a thud, the sound of a weapon imbedding into something, and the redhead's chin whipped back around to stare in shock at Ryouta.

The knife was trembling, just a centimeter from Ryouta's face, and the blond had gone pale, mouth gaping. A miniscule piece of shinning blond hair drifted innocently down to Ryouta's shoulder, landing lightly. A breathless gasp left the lips of the knife's target, and, as one, they all turned to Tetsuya. Serene and unmoved, he still stood as he had upon entering the room, blank faced and relaxed.

Head tilting so slowly it looked robotic, the boy studied Ryouta closely, gaze moving over the startled blond who was still struggling to catch his breath. Even Seijῡrō had been surprised at the speed and utter invisibility of the movement, for not even he had seen Tetsuya move.

Finally, the boy spoke, moving forward with lethally graceful and silent steps to retrieve the knife from the wood back of the chair Ryouta had sank lazily into. With a modest flourish, the weapon was gone, and he was monotonously looking down. "Kise-san seems rather annoying."

That seemed to startle the breath, and blood, back into Ryouta, and he flushed deeply, scrambling straight in his chair with wounded fury blooming on his pretty face. Seijῡrō rubbed a hand across his face, affectively hiding a smirk and letting go of his earlier reservations.

He'd thought before that the ordeal would be simple and easy as anything else, but his curiosity had certainly been kindled. Kuroko Tetsuya was definitely more than met the eye, and it was obvious every one of the Generation of Miracles would now see it.

* * *

_"—you should know that _you_ are a creature most feared."_

* * *

**_A/N: _**_I don't know where this came from. So… yeah. Hope you all liked it!_


	2. The Enigma: Kuroko Tetsuya

**_A/N: _**_Oh. You guys really liked this, huh? I really didn't expect such an awesome response, so here is another chapter for you! Sorry it's so short, but it's more to introduce Kuroko and prepare for actual plot and the other meetings. Hope you enjoy!_

**_WARNINGS: _**_Badass!Kuroko, Violence, Language, GoM/Kuroko_

* * *

**_Chapter Two_**

**_The Enigma: Kuroko Tetsuya_**

_"There is a saying about not judging a book by its cover—"_

* * *

Even before he entered the room, Tetsuya was aware of what he would be doing. His plans altered only somewhat when he laid eyes on the five teenage males seated in the room. The blue haired boy merely went with his observations and instincts, playing polite and using the Generation of Miracles' strengths against them.

After all, it was what Teikou's Head Advisor, Akashi Saitou had asked of him upon his arrival. There was no question that Tetsuya would follow the order.

Seeing them in person was a bit startling to him, because even knowing Teikou's reputation and the status its top students held, they were _bright_. Each of them was overwhelmingly attention grabbing in not only their aura, but also in their appearances.

Though he was long used to people with domineering mannerisms and overwhelming confidence, having five of them around him, plus the Advisors, was a bit of a stressor. Jittery energy bubble under the surface of his skin, though he had schooled himself into relaxing before meeting them. He wasn't aloud—and never would be—to show weakness.

Tetsuya had been forewarned about them in the profiles he'd been given in his own briefing, and they were easy enough to identify. Nearest to him when he opened the door were Akashi Seijῡrō, the esteemed son of Akashi Saitou, the huge bulk of Murasakibara Atsushi, and the bored and intimidating Aomine Daiki. Across from them was Midorima Shintarō—looking rather ruffled at the whining boy seated next to him—and Kise Ryouta, the target of Tetsuya's revised plot.

While he'd eventually have to interact more intimately with the five boys in front of him, at the moment the idea was not entirely appealing to him. So after introducing himself as had been planned, and the others left the room, Tetsuya decided he wanted to vanish.

So he turned their acute attention on Kise Ryouta, the easiest to fluster. The knife had flown strongly from his fingers, sinking into the wood where Kise had rested his head, and he hid a flicker of satisfaction.

The widening of the blonde's golden eyes was almost entertaining, comically dramatic as every gesture Kise seemed to make was. He had obviously had not expected Tetsuya to make such a quick and unforeseen movement.

Tetsuya hated being underestimated, however much it had its advantages.

As soon as he'd plucked the knife from its spot and discreetly hidden it back within the sleeve of his _gakuran_, Kise tried to round on him. Luckily, the egos of the other five would not let Kise's embarrassment go so easily, and with one snide comment from Aomine Daiki, they had rounded on each other.

The fact that the Advisors expected them to work _together_ remained something Tetsuya was regarding with growing incredulity. However brilliant the boys before him might have been, they were volatile and prideful, something Tetsuya knew would cause issues in the near future.

"You got caught off guard too easily, pretty boy," scoffed the tanned boy slumped farthest from the blond. Shutting his eyes momentarily at the rudeness Aomine had so easily displayed, Tetsuya shut the door silently behind him. Not a single one of them had seen him leave; they expected him to still be waiting patiently as they finished arguing, following exactly what Saitou had said.

They were unaware, however, that Tetsuya had been ordered to prepare them to work together. Most learned teamwork in conflict resolution, and to resolve a conflict, there must be a conflict in the first place. That was where the blue haired boy from Seirin was for.

Turning to walk down the hall, nimbleness entered his strides upon hearing the outraged shouting from within the meeting room. Half a second later, when Tetsuya was already turning the first corner, the door banged against the wall with a sound similar to a bomb going off.

Everything had gone according to plan, and Tetsuya took a deep breath, steadying himself for what was ahead. After all, there was a very interesting game of hide and seek that was about to start.

* * *

There was a moment where not a single one of them had taken in a breath. Daiki was nearly positive that even the lackadaisical Murasakibara and the poised Akashi had been utterly shocked, though he only partly noticed this, as he was recovering from his own astonishment.

The blue haired bastard, Kuroko or whatever the hell his name was, had vanished right before their eyes. _All_ of their eyes, and there was something so utterly strange about that that even Daiki still was blinking in bewilderment at what had just happened.

He knew his mouth was dropped open with shock, but honestly, it not the biggest problem. That they had all lost track of him was something that settled very forebodingly on Daiki's shoulders, and when he did close his mouth, it pressed automatically into a frown.

Somewhere deep in him, that competitive streak that hated to lose was interested in the challenge.

"Whoa," Kise mumbled, hands gripping the armrests of his chair as his eyes widened. He seemed to have gotten over his initial embarrassment, though not without good reason. They _had all been bested_. Such thing was unprecedented, and each of them was starting to fully realize it, the implications sinking into and shaking their very bones.

"Kuroko may live up to the buildup the Advisors' gave him," Akashi mused, and Daiki's eyes slid over to narrow at the heterochromic bastard who was now staring rather speculatively at the door. That superior fascination was a bit on the disgusting side to Daiki, but the words he was spewing were true enough. "To think someone so special came from Seirin; such an unexpected location for such talent to come from."

The lumbering bulk of Murasakibara blocked Daiki's view of Akashi as he leaned across the table. Dark purple locks and the back of an unprecedentedly large head were all that he could see as the giant spoke. "Aka-chin is interested in Kuroko?" inquired Murasakibara, munching on snacks even as he spoke.

"Mm-hm," the noncommittal and slow reply revealed how deep in thought the redhead actually was, and Daiki nearly snorted aloud. It was rare for someone to ever do something that shocked Akashi, and only he and the other Miracles were capable of that, at least, until today.

"Let's go find him!" Breathless excitement and anticipation could be heard within Kise's voice, and Daiki looked over to the blond who was now standing and leaning on the table. At his side, Midorima was worrying the handkerchief in his hands, a thoughtful and disconcerted scowl on his face.

Huffing out a sigh that was a mix of his own frustration and boredom, Daiki rolled his eyes. "And where the hell do you suppose we start?" he drawled, watching as the overly energetic blond boy deflated before his eyes.

Silence descended around them, interrupted only by the predictable ring of the clock tower's bell somewhere deeper within the campus, signaling that classes were starting. The sound of a chair scrapped against the wooden floor of the Advisors' meeting room, and when Daiki saw no one in his line of sight move, he assumed it was Akashi.

"They said he would be living on campus, no?" The redhead mused, stepping away from the table and pushing his chair back into place. The brightness returned to Kise's eyes, and the blonde's posture straightened with purpose. "We're going to find him."

Even as the authority in Akashi's choice of words rubbed Daiki the wrong way, he rose from his seat quietly. He wouldn't complain, because for the first time in a long time, there something interesting a foot, a challenge laid out before him.

He could feel his blood boiling with a craving for victory, for satisfaction. Daiki knew the other four around him felt the same way, and he'd be damned if he lost to them, even if they were just as focused and supposedly as talented as him.

* * *

Tetsuya sighed rather disappointedly under his breath from his perch, watching as they made the most predictable decision he'd ever seen. Even if he'd foreseen this occurring, and had acted accordingly, the blue haired boy was still not satisfied with what the Generation of Miracles had shown him so far.

It was an understandable, and realistically the best decision, but he still hoped that they would have done something other than go to the dorms to search out his dwellings first. Moreover, the fact that he was quite literally hiding in plain sight made their ignorance a little more saddening.

Settling deeper into the chair that he'd chosen to watch it unfold from, Tetsuya figured they'd have to give up eventually. After all, if they couldn't see him in a room that was otherwise empty—all the students had started classes—they couldn't hope to ever catch him.

Lifting the cup to his lips, he took a slow draw of milkshake into his mouth. Upon entering the grounds, Tetsuya had been pleasantly surprised to find a Maji Burger amid the almost city-like school. As soon as he'd been able (which meant after meeting the Generation of Miracles) he'd taken his opportunity to grab a milkshake to enjoy as he observed them.

In all actuality, he'd timed it all well enough that he'd _followed_ them to his door room, though he'd stopped in the lobby because trailing people through hallways was much more difficult than anything else. Tetsuya wasn't worried though, they'd come back once they'd discovered that he'd yet to actually move into his room.

So with his legs crossed and vanilla shake in hand, he waited patiently, and sure enough, he could hear them coming. Amid the occasional loud whine of displeasure and disbelief, Tetsuya could hear their quick and unsettled footsteps, however quiet they were.

When they reentered the room, there was a predatory air about them that said they were not pleased at his absence. At the head was Akashi Seijῡrō, arms crossed and eyes dark, yet it was Aomine Daiki, at the edge of the group, that was the first to speak.

"Bastard probably left Teikou just to fuck with us," he growled out, hand scrubbing at the back of his neck and ruffling up his dark blue hair. A scowl, though not as potent as Tetsuya might have expected, adorned his lips.

"He will return soon," Midorima Shintarō reasoned, stuffing that orange paisley piece of cloth into his pocket as he loosened his tie with bandaged fingers. They were all still dressed in their meeting clothes, which said they hadn't done anything _but_ look for Tetsuya since he'd vanished.

Tetsuya paused in his observation to frown just slightly in displeasure. Weren't classes on at the moment? Shaking his head critically, he watched as Aomine paused, the group walking away from him without a thought.

Without looking over his shoulder and walking obviously by Tetsuya, Akashi called out to the lingering tanned boy. "Go to class, Daiki." Then he was gone, and Tetsuya observed blandly as the Generation of Miracles split up without a word and went their own way.

"Stupid, arrogant bastard," Aomine muttered, grimacing in Akashi's direction before sliding his hands into his pockets and meandering purposelessly into another hallway. However much Tetsuya might have agreed with the meaning to the words, he was a bit off put at the foul language.

Deciding he had nothing better to do, the blue haired boy rose to his feet, taking an absentminded sip of his milkshake as he moved to follow the dark blue haired boy. The whole building was practically empty, with only the occasional staff member wandering the presence. Due to the lack of commotion, it was relatively quiet, the loudest noises being Aomine's stomping and muttering.

It was almost like he was pouting.

When Tetsuya finally caught up to him, he was hunched over in front of a mending machine, cursing under his breath. Tilting his head to the side and shifting slightly to see what the lanky boy was doing, Tetsuya felt amusement flutter through him.

For some reason, the sight of a member of the Generation of Miracles smoothing crumpled yen notes to put into the machine was very funny. Pulling his lips away from the straw of his milkshake, Kuroko swallowed, stepping forward as the boy finally managed to convince the machine to take his money.

"Annoying," Aomine mumbled, and Tetsuya watched as he punched in the code for a drink, itching at the back of his neck again. It was almost like a nervous habit, one to cover flustered feelings and embarrassment.

Deciding he'd had enough of watching them scramble, Tetsuya stepped forward and spoke. "If you stop attempting to force it to take your money, the vending machines are generally kinder to you." The words were said blankly, but he couldn't quite hide the dry sarcasm hidden beneath them, though he doubted Aomine heard it.

In unison with the rattling of the can dropping down to be retrieved, the blue haired boy made the most terrified and shocked face Tetsuya had ever seen. He jumped, shoulders rising in a way that was almost reminiscent to a startled cat, and Tetsuya took another sip of his shake.

The choked sound caught in the dark skinned boy's throat seemed to linger for several seconds as a myriad of emotions dashed across his face. Pure terror mixed with shock, then confusion mixed with surprise, and, finally, a hint of agitated anger peppered with what looked like irritation.

"You," the word was exhaled like a curse, and Aomine's brow twitched. He didn't seem to know what to do or say to Tetsuya. Ignoring his confliction, the pale, blue haired boy leaned around the startled Aomine to snatch his drink out of the vending machine. He offered it blandly to the Miracle, finishing the remains of his shake out with purposefully loud gulps.

Finishing with his shake and mission to annoy the boy before him, Tetsuya lowered the now empty cup in his left hand. "My apologies, I didn't realize that Aomine-san was so easily startled," he pressed forward, nearly touching the boy's chest with the drink, and waited patiently for an eruption.

Violently snagging the thing from his hand, Aomine lifted his lips in a snarl. "Oh, _you know_, you bastard. After just disappearing like that, you know that you can give people fucking _heart attacks_." The words were lowly spoken, the sharpness of the gaze on him making his skin tingle, but Tetsuya kept his composure, imperceptibly lifting a shoulder in a shrug.

Spinning on his heel, he moved to the trash can in the hallway, depositing his cup neatly into it. Tetsuya then proceeded to continue on his way, only to hear a rather ruffled and offended shout follow him.

"Dammit, wait up you bastard!" The snappy and hurried words were accompanied by the pounding of quick footsteps. Pausing, Tetsuya glanced over his shoulder, watching as Aomine fell into step beside him, cracking the tab on his soda.

Once Aomine had caught up—though Tetsuya probably hadn't needed to slow down—he continued to walk out of the building and into the campus. As he silently walked, he could feel the intensity of the dark blue gaze on him, so he lifted his chin and met the intent gaze. "Was there something you required of me?"

The furrowed borrows on the Miracle's face were almost painful looking, and probably a perpetual thing for him, though Tetsuya pondered that they'd be uncomfortable to keep in that position. Swallowing a rather large amount of the beverage in his hand, Aomine glowered at him.

"Who the hell _are_ you?" muttered the boy, and something told Tetsuya that he wasn't probing for the boy's name. Playing ignorant, the blue haired boy blinked up at his taller companion rather blankly.

"I am Kuroko Tetsuya," he answered, using a tone that implied he was being helpful. They were halfway through campus, and even though there was not a soul in sight, Aomine still glanced around warily before narrowing his gaze back on Tetsuya.

"I know _that_," ground out the frustrated looking boy, raising himself rather instinctively into an intimidating posture. Looking down his nose, he seemed to be trying to figure something out, like the pieces of to a puzzle that didn't make sense at all. "I want to know how you keep disappearing."

Tetsuya hummed lightly, eyes wandering over the lush campus around them. "I don't try to," he says honestly, meeting Aomine's gaze and staring back unflinchingly. "I just have a naturally low presence."

Pointing at the building behind him, the one where the First String took most of their classes, he titled his head, watching the distraction snag Aomine's attention and elicit more befuddlement in the tanned boy's eyes.

"Let's go find the rest of the Generation of Miracles," Tetsuya suggested, "I am to brief you all, remember?"

"Then why the hell did you vanish in the first place?" snapped Aomine, fiery personality rather amusing to Tetsuya, who was quite used to someone almost identical to Aomine. As if on cue, the phone in Tetsuya's pocket vibrated, and he ignored it. He had work to do, so he would have to reply later.

Sighing rather dejectedly, without actually making an expression, Tetsuya looked over his shoulder and met the gaze of the stranger behind him. "I was testing you. You all failed." The rather blunt and straightforward answer seemed to startle Aomine, and something flared in his eyes that were almost dark and certainly displeased.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" mumbled the dark haired boy, and Tetsuya ignored him, starting toward the looming building hovering nearby. He was content to ignore the boy who was likely looking like he was talking to himself in the middle of campus.

As if occurring solely because of Tetsuya's rampant thought, a voice called out from somewhere across the quad. "Dai-chan, what are you doing?"

The feminine voice was exasperated, puzzled, and worried all at the same time, and Tetsuya watched as a rather pretty young girl hurried toward Aomine, books in her arms and a scowl on her lips. Her hair and eyes were both a matching shade of peachy pink, and Tetsuya wondered absentmindedly what other hair colors might exist if pink and green were showcased at Teikou.

"Satsuki!" Aomine jumped, turning toward the girl as if he had forgotten she—or anyone else— existed. "Why aren't you in class?"

A brow rose, and from the way the girl cocked her hips, Tetsuya was positive she'd have her hands on them if she wasn't busy holding her schoolwork. "I could ask the same of you," she sardonically shot back, eyes narrowing dangerously on the boy.

Aomine snorted. "I had Miracle business," he waved off, taking a sip from his drink as he turned in Tetsuya's general direction. "And I was trying to track down this…hey, where the hell did you go, you bastard!"

Breathing heavily through his nose, Tetsuya shook his head, turning toward the First String's building as he fished out his phone. If he were anyone else, he'd have tossed up his hands and given up already, but, he was Kuroko Tetsuya, so he merely soldiered on.

And he still had four more of them to truly meet. Sighing almost inaudible, he shook his head. It was going to be a long job.

* * *

_"—but what if the book's cover is blank?"_


End file.
